iPhone 17 Pro Max Review: The One Upgrade That’s Worth It
▼ Summary
– The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a major design overhaul with an aluminum body and a new vapor chamber cooling system, which significantly improves thermal performance and addresses overheating issues from previous models.
– Apple has reinvented the selfie camera with an 18MP square sensor, ultrawide capabilities, and AI-powered features like Auto Rotate and Auto Zoom to make group selfies easier and higher quality.
– Zoom photography is enhanced with a new 48MP sensor for the tetraprism lens, offering a 4x optical zoom and a 12MP 8x digital zoom option for sharper, more professional-looking telephoto shots.
– Battery life receives a substantial 15% boost to 39 hours of video playback, now matching competitors like Samsung’s Ultra series, thanks to a larger battery and improved thermal and power efficiency.
– The author recommends upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro Max for users of the iPhone 15 Pro Max or 16 Pro Max who experienced overheating problems, and for those with an iPhone 14 Pro Max or older seeking a significant performance and camera improvement.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max represents a significant leap forward, particularly for those who found the thermal performance of its predecessors frustrating. This year’s model directly tackles the overheating issues that plagued the last two generations, combining a redesigned aluminum body with an advanced vapor chamber cooling system. Alongside this crucial fix, Apple has delivered substantial upgrades to the camera system, battery life, and overall performance, making it one of the most compelling upgrades in recent memory.
For the first time in several years, I am consolidating my review to focus solely on the Pro Max model. The differences between the iPhone 17 Pro and the Pro Max are now almost exclusively screen size and battery capacity. If you prefer a more compact device, nearly everything discussed here applies equally to the standard Pro.
As someone who has upgraded annually since the original iPhone, my perspective is shaped by daily, intensive use. The Pro Max has consistently been the best-selling iPhone model globally since the iPhone 14 Pro Max, a trend Apple anticipates will continue. Reports indicate the company has allocated a massive 40% of its production capacity to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, signaling strong confidence in its flagship.
So, what’s actually new? Beyond the headline-grabbing design change, the list is extensive. The heart of the device is the new A19 Pro chip, which boasts enhanced neural accelerators for faster AI and computational photography tasks. The display now peaks at a blinding 3,000 nits of brightness, making it exceptionally viewable outdoors. A new Apple-designed N1 chip handles Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, promising more efficient and reliable connectivity, including improvements to AirDrop.
Charging sees modest bumps, with wired charging now supporting 36W and wireless charging opening up to full 25W speeds on third-party Qi2.2 chargers. The base RAM has been increased to 12GB, and a new 2TB storage option is available for power users. However, the most impactful changes are found in four key areas.
First, the design overhaul directly addresses the overheating flaw. By switching from titanium back to aluminum, Apple has chosen a material that dissipates heat far more effectively. This, combined with the new internal vapor chamber, has dramatically improved thermal management. During data migration, the iPhone 17 Pro Max ran significantly cooler than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. In daily use, including intensive photography sessions and MagSafe charging in the car, overheating has been rare. It’s not entirely perfect, extended use in direct, hot sunlight can still cause it to warm up, but it’s a monumental improvement that fixes the biggest irritation of the last two years.
Second, Apple has reinvented the selfie camera. The new 18MP front-facing sensor is ultrawide and square, branded as the Center Stage camera. It intelligently switches between vertical and horizontal orientations and can automatically zoom to ensure everyone fits in a group shot. The quality jump is immediately noticeable, making this the most advanced selfie camera on any smartphone.
Third, zoom photography has become genuinely professional. The tetraprism zoom lens now uses a 48MP sensor with a 4x optical zoom, and it can produce a crisp 12MP image at 8x. The results in good light are substantially cleaner and more detailed than before, closing the gap with competitors who have long held an advantage in telephoto shots.
Finally, battery life now competes with the best. The combination of a larger 5,088mAh battery, more efficient components, and better heat management means the iPhone 17 Pro Max can easily last a full day of heavy use. It now matches the endurance of Samsung’s Ultra models, a benchmark for long-lasting flagships.
Looking ahead, there’s always room for improvement. The camera bump has grown even larger this year, making the phone less pocketable. While the hardware is primed for advanced AI, the software, iOS 26, feels like it’s still catching up, especially with Siri lagging behind modern generative AI assistants. And the dream of a foldable iPhone that retains all the Pro Max’s capabilities remains just that, a dream.
So, who should upgrade? My advice has changed this year. If you owned an iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 Pro Max and were consistently bothered by overheating and rapid battery drain, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a worthwhile upgrade. The improvement in daily comfort and reliability is substantial. For those holding onto an iPhone 14 Pro Max or older, this upgrade is a no-brainer, offering a massive jump in every department. However, if your current phone runs cool and the battery is still healthy, you might consider waiting to see what the future holds.
(Source: ZDNET)
